Tributes have been paid by judges and barristers to their colleague Huw Evans who died last week. As well as being a much respected barrister known for a high profile case in the Caribbean, Huw was the brother of radio presenter and Strictly Come Dancing star Wynne Evans.
A packed courtroom at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday was full of distinguished members of the legal profession in Wales and beyond, who met to pay tribute to the much loved barrister, who died following an illness he kept from his colleagues.
Leading the eulogy, Judge Lucy Crowther said Huw was born in Carmarthen on August 26, 1962, and was the eldest son of Elizabeth and David Evans. His brothers Wynne and Mark Evans went on to become world-renowned opera singers. You can get more story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
His mother Elizabeth was the subject of the film Save The Cinema, played by Samantha Morton, after she prevented the closure of The Lyric cinema in Carmarthen after writing to Steven Spielberg who allowed a special premiere of Jurassic Park to be held there.
Judge Crowther described Huw as a “talented dancer” in his youth and joined the Royal Navy, which saw him train as an officer in Dartmouth before taking a short job in the Navy legal department, which set him on a course of a career in law.
He completed his pupillage in Swansea before starting to practise in Cardiff in 1989, initially at 32 Park Place and joined 30 Park Place in 2005. The barrister did much of his work in complex fraud cases including a long-running case in the Turks and Caicos Islands where the former premier and members of his cabinet faced charges of fraud, bribery, and corruption.
In 1990, Huw married his wife Donna and they went on to have two sons, Louis and Emile, and two granddaughters. While living in the Caribbean in 2017, Huw experienced the impact of Hurricane Irma which saw the roof torn from his house as he sheltered inside. He would describe it as “one of the most frightening times of his life.”
Wynne Evans
Judge Crowther said: “It’s a particular mark of his life and character as to how many friends and colleagues remark how much he could be relied on to be loyal and trustworthy. Huw genuinely cared for his friends and colleagues and was proud to see everybody’s successes…. He had your back, you could have no better friend. He loved rugby, skiing and fancy motors. He was a gourmand.”
Tributes were also paid by Caroline Rees KC, the leader of the Wales and Chester Circuit, and Huw’s former pupil Sharon Bahia, who broke down in tears as she described how Huw treated her like a sister and a member of his family.
Wynne Evans, who observed proceedings via a video link, earlier paid tribute to his brother, and posted several pictures of them together on social media. He said: “I’m so sad to say that my gorgeous eldest brother has passed away. My big brother was my hero and my inspiration. Huw my darling I will miss you so much and am so glad I got to have you with me all my life.”
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